ML22117A071
| ML22117A071 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 05/09/2022 |
| From: | Christopher Hanson NRC/Chairman |
| To: | Carper T, Feinstein D, Kaptur M, Markey E, Pallone F, Rush B, Tonko P US HR (House of Representatives), US HR, Comm on Appropriations, US HR, Comm on Energy & Commerce, US HR, Subcomm on Energy, US HR, Subcomm on Energy & Water Development, US HR, Subcomm on Environment and Climate Change, US SEN (Senate), US SEN, Comm on Appropriations, US SEN, Comm on Environment & Public Works, US SEN, Subcomm on Clean Air & Nuclear Safety, US SEN, Subcomm on Energy & Water Development |
| Mroz S | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML22117A069 | List: |
| References | |
| CORR-22-0036 | |
| Download: ML22117A071 (4) | |
Text
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001
May 9, 2022
The Honorable Edward Markey Chairman, Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety Committee on Environment and Public Works United States Senate Washington, DC 20510
Dear Mr. Chairman :
On behalf of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), I am submitting the "Semiannual Status Report on the Licensing Activities and Regulatory Duties of the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission." The enclosed report covers NRC activities from October 1, 2021, through March 31, 2022, and includes a list of rulemaking activities, their priority and schedule, and actions taken to adhere to the backfit rule, as directed in House Report 116-449 accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.
During this period, the NRC completed several noteworthy regulatory activities. In November 2021, the Commission approved a proposed rule to amend agency regulations for nuclear power plants transitioning from operations to decommissioning. The NRC staff terminated the license for the Humboldt Bay Power Plant, Unit 3, releasing the site for unrestricted use following the successful decommissioning of the facility. In December 2021, the NRC approved the transfer of licenses for Palisades and Big Rock Point nuclear power plants and their associated spent fuel storage facilities to a decommissioning operator. In January 2022, the NRC denied, without prejudice, an application from Oklo Power, LLC to build and operate its Aurora compact fast reactor, as detailed in the enclosed report. In February 2022, the NRC published in the Federal Register a notice of opportunity to intervene in an adjudicatory hearing and began seeking public views on environmental issues for consideration related to Kairos Power's application for a construction permit to build the "Hermes " test reactor at a site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and published a notice of opportunity to request a limited scope adjudicatory hearing regarding Southern Nuclear Operating Company 's notice to load nuclear fuel into the Vogtle Unit 4 reactor beginning in September. In March 2022, the NRC finalized a White finding following the completion of a special inspection at Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station, as detailed in the enclosed report, and issued annual assessment letters for all operating nuclear plants in the United States, which included 91 reactors assessed to be performing in the highest safety category and two reactors falling into the second highest safety category.
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Other Noteworthy Activities in the Past 6 Months
In March 2022, the NRC staff released its final report from its special inspection at the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) test reactor. The inspection was launched in February 2021, following an event at the reactor. The final report identified seven apparent violations of NRC requirements that are being considered for escalated enforcement action, including a civil penalty. In accordance with the NRC Enforcement Policy, NIST opted to address the apparent violations through a mediated Alternative Dispute Resolution process, which is scheduled to take place with the NRC staff in May 2022. The NRC will conduct supplemental inspections to inform a decision on restart, which would require NRC authorization. Results of the special inspection and any enforcement decisions will be provided in the next semiannual report, when related oversight activities have been completed.
From October 2021 through March 2022, the NRC staff conducted 95 security inspections at commercial nuclear power plants and Category I fuel cycle facilities. This includes a total of 10 force-on-force inspections involving simulated attacks on the selected facility to test the effectiveness of the licensee's physical security program. As detailed in the enclosed report, the agency conducted three full-scope force-on-force inspections, three modified full-scope force-on-force inspections (using COVID-19 precautions), and four limited-scope inspections at sites where the full-scope inspections could not be completed due to local COVID-19 hardship conditions.
The NRC continued using COVID-19 precautionary measures to help ensure the health and safety of its workforce, licensees' staff, and stakeholders in accordance with guidance provided by the Federal Government, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Office of Personnel Management, as well as State and local authorities. The impacts to NRC licensing activities and regulatory duties during this reporting period were minimal and, where appropriate, are noted in the enclosed report.
From October 2021 through March 2022, the NRC completed recruitment efforts for our Summer Student Intern program and anticipates having approximately 70 new and returning students onboard during summer 2022. Additionally, the NRC recruited 25 recent university graduates majoring in engineering and science for our second Nuclear Regulator Apprenticeship Network cohort. They are expected to join the agency in late summer 2022. To address current and anticipated vacancies in the next 12-18 months, the Chief Human Capital Officer developed a strategy for a significant recruitment effort to occur throughout FY 2022.
The strategy will ensure that the agency continues to fulfill its important safety and security mission well into the future.
Also, from October 2021 through March 2022, the NRC held 429 public meetings to address a range of NRC issues. The NRC also processed 113 Freedom of Information Act requests and received an additional 110 requests during the reporting period.
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Please feel free to contact me or have your staff contact Eugene Dacus, Director of the Office of Congressional Affairs, at (301) 415-1776, if you have any questions or need additional information.
Sincerely,
Christopher T. Hanson
Enclosure:
As stated
cc: Senator James lnhofe Identical letter sent to :
The Honorable Edward Markey The Honorable Paul Tonka Chairman, Subcommittee on Clean Air, Chairman, Subcommittee on Environment Climate, and Nuclear Safety and Climate Change Committee on Environment and Public Works Committee on Energy and Comme rce United States Senate United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515 cc : Senator James lnhofe cc : Representative David B. McKinley
The Honorable Thomas R. Carper The Honorable Marcy Kaptur Chairman, Committee on Environment Chairman, Subcommittee on Energy and Public Works and Water Development United States Senate Committee on Appropriations Washington, DC 20510 United States House of Representatives cc: Senator Shelley Moore Capito Washington, DC 20515 cc : Representative Mike Simpson The Honorable Frank Pallone, Jr.
Chairman, Committee on Energy The Honorable Dianne Feinstein and Commerce Chairman, Subcommittee on Energy United States House of Representatives and Water Development Washington, DC 20515 Committee on Appropriations cc: Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Bobby L. Rush cc : Senator John Kennedy Chairman, Subcommittee on Energy Committee on Energy and Commerce United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 cc : Representative Fred Upton